Boy Old Testament Rare
Tobiah
Tobijah, the Lord is good
טוֹבִיָּ֫הוּ to.viy.yah
Tobiah (Hebrew: טוֹבִיָּ֫הוּ, to.viy.yah) means “Tobijah, the Lord is good”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a foreigner. In 2025 it was given to 21 children in the United States. Use is rising. Appears in the same passages as Arah.
Which Tobiah?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Tobiah
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Tobiah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 14 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Return
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 21 | Rising |
| All-time total | 683 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 39 in 2016 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | CA | Highest share relative to births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Ezra 2:60 |
| Last appears | Nehemiah 13:8 |
| Cross-references | 252 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Sanballat co-occurrence Appears with Sanballat in Nehemiah 6.
- Eliashib co-occurrence Appears with Eliashib in Nehemiah 13.
- Nekoda co-occurrence Appears with Nekoda in Nehemiah 7.
- Delaiah co-occurrence Appears with Delaiah in Nehemiah 7.
- Noadiah co-occurrence Appears with Noadiah in Nehemiah 6.
- Geshem co-occurrence Appears with Geshem in Nehemiah 2.
- Arah co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Arah.
- Asaph co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Asaph.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.60
§ Tobiah = "Jehovah is good"
1) head of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel but who were unable to prove their connection with Israel
2) the Ammonite who with Sanballat opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem
3) a Levite in the reign of Jehoshaphat
4) a chief of the returning exiles
Tobiah was an ancestor of some returned exiles who were unable to prove their Israelite lineage and were excluded from the priesthood.
The biblical story
Tobiah is mentioned in Ezr.2.60 and Neh.7.62 as an ancestor of some of the returned exiles from Babylon who were unable to prove their Israelite lineage. These individuals were among the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, who sought to be registered as priests but were excluded because their names could not be found in the genealogical records. As a result, they were considered unclean and disqualified from serving as priests. The mention of Tobiah in this context highlights the importance of genealogical records in determining priestly eligibility and the challenges faced by some returning exiles in establishing their Israelite identity.
Key verses
Tobiah appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
Ezra 2:60 -
The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.
Nehemiah 7:62
Show all 2 references
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 2:60
Nehemiah (1)
- Nehemiah 7:62